Laws yet to bring change in the lives of tribals
All India Kisan Maha Sabhas stages a demonstration at Rimpi village in the agency in Meliaputti mandal(Top); Left-oriented unions organise an awareness programme at Kudumaasayi village in the agency in Mandasa mandal(Bottom)
Srikakulam: Qualitative change is yet to be witnessed among tribals in agency and forest areas, particularly in North Andhra districts. In this region, Savara, Jathapu, Kondadora, Gadaba, Koya and Kotiya tribes are residing whose population in this region is more than 10 per cent of total population. In the North AP, 3,783 villages were included in the Schedule V of Constitution through an order in 1950 and again in 1976, it was proposed to include another 456 villages in this region. But these villages are yet to be included in the schedule, as a result of which tribal lands and resources are being exploited by the traders and middlemen.
In the wake of agitation by tribals in Srikakulam, Central government introduced 1/70 Act and in 2006, another Act was introduced under the title Recognition of Forest Rights Act, but these laws are not being implemented properly.
Illegal mining activities are posing a threat to livelihood of tribals in the region. Agitations were staged opposing bauxite mining and granite in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam agency. In 2018, the Central government introduced National Forest Policy but in practice, it is posing a threat to opportunities and livelihood of the tribals.
Various Left organisations and tribal associations are strongly opposing the Forest Policy-2023. They lamented that the Central government is planning to hand over forest lands to corporate companies for mining and tourism projects.
In the wake of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Friday, various Left-oriented organisations and tribal bodies conducted awareness events in different villages in the agency for the last one week.
Representatives of these organisations and associations are creating awareness among tribals on apathy of Central and state governments in improving the lives of tribals. They also pointed out that in the name of tribals, officials and middlemen got benefitted in the last 74 years by misappropriating the funds meant for tribal welfare.